Object Oriented Modeling Frameworks for the Social Systems Manuel Ignacio Balaguera *1 , Jenny Paola Lis #2 , Mercedes Gaitán #3 , Amelec Viloria +4 , Paula VivanaRobayo Acuña #5 * School of Mathematics and Engineering, FundaciónUniversitaria Konrad Lorenz, Bogota, Colombia # School of Business, FundaciónUniversitaria Konrad Lorenz, Bogota, Colombia + Universidad de la Costa, Barranquilla, Colombia Abstract In the present paper an object oriented approach and modeling framework is proposed for the construction of synthetic, computational models of social systems. The conventional approach to model and study social systemswill be reviewed and outlined, indicating its limitations to deal with their associated complex turbulent phenomena. The proposed object oriented integrative modeling will be explained emphasizing its advantages compared to reductionist methods when dealing with complex systems. Finally, the main architecture of the UTOPIAcomputational modeling framework, an ongoing developmentis shown and described. Turbulent, UTOPIA, reductionist methods, computational models, modeling framework. 1. Introduction In recent years, global change has gone beyond climatological and environmental contexts: both economy and society show signs of increasing turbulent behavior, manifested in the inadequacy of statistics and traditional econometric methods to predict even short term behaviors: collapses in the global financial markets emerge more frequently, political polarization and social instability are widespread conditions. Despite humankind founds in those events clear signs and strong arguments to accept the inadequacy of determinist and reductionist focus of modern science to deal with real, complex phenomena such as found in biological, physiological, psychological, social, ecological, geological and environmental systems; our world continues functioning under these obsolete epistemological paradigms retarding crucial changes and decisions, approaching humankind to conditions in which no human social life is possible, even more, conditions in which no individual human life could be possible (Rees, 2003). New paradigms for the construction, integration and use of knowledge are required and that is the task currently being undertaken by the science and the engineering of complex systems (Anderson, 1999) (Castellani & William, 2009). In order to support these reflections and new proposals, a quick review on the evolution of science paradigms is presented. 2. Science, Reductionism and complexity Let's begin by stating that the essential feature of we, human beings, is our rationality: our actions are based upon our decisions and these decisions are the result of individual and social processes: thinking, imagination, reflection, dialogue, submission, etc., all of them based on knowledge, hope, faith, myth, or caprice, actually, almost always in a combination of them. Generally, but in particular when dealing with the physical world, once a decision has been taken and an action has been realized, a set of events and processes are triggeredleading, in brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk provided by Repositorio Digital CUC